Dynamic correlation between surface carbon response and underlying emissions from spontaneous combustion goaf: field study of an abandoned coal mine

Abandoned coal mine goaf is affected by air leakages and prone to spontaneous combustion, resulting in environmental pollution and geological disasters. Haizhou Open-pit Mine adopts both underground and open-pit mining methods. During the long-term mining process, the original stable stratum structure is constantly destroyed, and the slope slides, increasing cracks and severe air leakage around the goaf and roadway. The spontaneous combustion of coal is particularly prominent after the mine shut down. At present, there is no suitable indirect monitoring method to effectively explore the spontaneous combustion area in goaf. The study developed an all-weather monitoring plan and conducted multi-point continuous long-term measurements of the spontaneous combustion state in one abandoned coal mine goaf located in the eastern part of the Haizhou Open-pit Mine. We evaluated the dynamic correlation between surface CO2 flux (SCF) and changes in the underground fire areas, determined the scope and evolution trend of the fire areas, and identified the distribution and change laws of SCF. The results show a significant positive correlation between SCF and soil temperature; moreover, the SCF value was found to reflect the CO2 emission intensity of the goaf. The high SCF in the test area showed month-wise expansion and increase, while the CO2 emission gradually increased monthly, and the calculated annual total emission was approximately 7017 t. Hence, the study can further provide guidance for the monitoring of spontaneous combustion in shallow coal seams, goaf and the assessment of CO2 emissions from underground coal fires through the on-site monitoring and analysis results.